One Pressured Tomato
by Karin1
Summary: How much pressure can a tomato stand? Greg does a little experiment. - Grissom/Sara -


**Disclaimer**: CSI and its characters are the property of CBS and Alliance/Atlantis Networks. I'm writing this story for entertainment purpose only. No copyright infringement intended.

**Author's note**: This is my first response to an Unbound Improv Challenge (first and last line provided). Well, actually to any challenge. My beta Marlou convinced me that if she could do it, then I could do it as well. This is the result. I want to thank Marlou for her support and encouragement, and also for coming up with a title. You're the best!

Well, I hope you will enjoy my story!

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**One Pressured Tomato**

By Karin

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Grissom approached the tomato warily. He'd been walking through the hallway when he had noticed it. It was a peculiar sight between all those sterile instruments. The red color of the big shiny tomato stood out against the white and grey of the lab.

Grissom wasn't surprised to find Greg sitting in front it, staring at it as if it was the last piece of fruit in the entire world.

"What are you doing?" he asked curiously.

Life was always very interesting with Greg around. There was one word you couldn't use to describe the guy and that was 'boring'. Whether it was doing the foxtrot with a dummy or using some evidence to impress the ladies...Greg was in for everything. Sometimes Grissom just let him, giving his energy an outlet, but there were times that he had to act like the supervisor that he was. Not everything was appropriate in the lab and Grissom often felt like a kindergarten teacher.

"I'm doing an experiment," Greg muttered vaguely, not taking his eyes off the tomato.

"I can see that." Grissom smirked. "The question is what for?"

"I was just curious about something." Realizing that Grissom wouldn't be satisfied with his explanation, Greg tore his gaze from the tomato and looked up. "I'm examining how much pressure a tomato can take before it cracks."

Grissom raised an eyebrow. "And why would you want to do that?"

"Well, I saw this case on the Discovery Channel and it involved a tomato. I wanted to see if it was true. Besides, this is my break." He eyed Grissom. A sparkle appeared in his eyes when he continued a little mischievously: "You and Sara did some interesting things with a pickle not so long ago."

Grissom blinked. The way Greg put it almost made it sound... Thoughts of more interesting things he could do with Sara crept into his mind. He cleared his throat, trying to shake the burning desire that had surged through his body at the mere thought of her. "That was for a case."

"Well, from my perspective it sure looked as though you were enjoying yourselves," Greg said casually, but the grin on his face proved otherwise. He was purposely defying Grissom. "All cozy above that pickle and..."

"Greg!" Grissom spoke severely, his irritation level reaching a new peak.

Greg knew that he had gone too far, crossed an unspoken boundary. But it was so easy teasing Grissom. Everyone already knew what was going on between him and Sara. Well, except maybe for themselves. Those two were so blind, twirling around each other, that it was almost amusing. They had no idea how many bets had already been placed. Bets about when they would finally confess their feelings for one another, bets about when they would kiss for the first time, when Ecklie would find out, when the Sheriff would find out and...a very popular bet: where they would have sex for the first time. Right now the most popular choice was in Grissom's office, probably on his desk, surrounded by all his specimen.

Just when Greg was about to apologize, both he and Grissom jumped when they heard a furious voice coming from the breakroom. "GREG!!"

Grissom turned to Greg. He smiled amused when he saw a blush creep up the young man's cheeks. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on. It was like adding one and one together. Or in this case adding tomatoes.

"Please enlighten me, Greg. Where exactly did you get the tomato from?"

Greg looked extremely uncomfortable from the tomato to Grissom and back. "Uhhmm... from the fridge. I didn't think anyone was going to eat it. I...uhh...damn, is there somewhere I can hide?"

"I'm afraid not." Grissom shook his head. "You didn't even consider the fact that the tomato may have belonged to someone? For example a vegetarian brunette who goes by the name of Sara? And that maybe it was intended to go on a sandwich?"

"It didn't look really eatable," Greg tried to defend himself. But to be quite honest, he had been so enthusiastic about his idea, that he hadn't even given it a second thought of what the owner would say or do when he or she would find the tomato missing. He should have, especially since last time when he had fried Catherine's banana. They weren't very pleased with him back then either.

"Greg, what did you do with my tomato?!" Sara burst out when she entered the labroom.

Before Greg could answer, a beep warned him that something was wrong. However, it was already too late. Because he had been so distracted by Sara and what she would do to him, Greg had failed to check up on the tomato. Apparently it had reached its highest pressure point, because with a loud swoosh it exploded.

Since Sara had been standing in the door opening, she got off lucky. The two men standing near it weren't that lucky. Tomato skin and pulp covered their clothes, their face and their hair. Grissom even had some tomato seeds in his beard.

"Mmm...I guess I found it." She flashed Grissom a big wide tooth-gapped smile.

Her words were immediately followed by the thought: 'Maybe I can lick it off.' It most certainly would beat having it on a sandwich.

She chuckled as he picked debris from his beard.

_The End_

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I hope you liked it! Reviews are always more than welcome, especially since this is my first response to a challenge. Thank you!

- Karin -


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